74 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.P h y s i o l o g i c a1 Chemistry.Influence of the Temperature of the surrounding Atmo-sphere on the Excretion of Carbonic Acid and the Absorp-tion of Oxygen in a Cat. By the Duke CARL THEODOR of Bavaria(Zeitsck. f. BioZogie, 14, 51--56).-1n this series of experiments theauthor fed a full-grown cat on a fixed diet from December 14th, 1874,to Jan. 14th, 187.5. For the first 1 7 days the cat received daily 100grams of beef and 10 grams of pure lard, but as the animal was losingweight the diet was increased to 120 grams of meat and 15 grams oflard ; this was continued throughout the experiments. Except whenplaced in the respiration apparatus, the animal was kept in an un-heated space, and was therefore exposed to the variations in tempera-ture of the climate (Munich).The cat was weighed daily and theaverage temperature of the air noted. From December 31st to June16th the animal increased somewhat in weight; from the latter datet o March 30th (Le., during the cold season of the year) its weightremained nearly stationary (between 2,557 and 2,650 grams). Withthe advent of warm weather, however, it gradually increased in weight,until on June 14th i t weighed 3,047 grams.The author thence concludes that, for some reason less nourishmentis required during summer than in winter, for the same diet whichduring the cold weather merely maintained the animal at its originalweight, caused a considerable increase in the same during the summer.During the above-mentioned six months, 22 experiments, each last-ing from five to six hours, were made with the respiration apparatus,the absorption of oxygen, as well as the excretion of carbonic acid andwatery vapour, being estimated.The experiments were made in eachcase after the cat had fasted 17 hours.The results showed plainly that the excretion of carbonic acid andthe absorption of oxygen are increased by cold and diminished byheat. The fact that the numbers do not increase uniformly with thPHTSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. [ 75lowering of the temperature, the author attributes to movements of thecat sometimes taking place, whereas the animal usually remained quietin the apparatus. The average proportion of the oxygen absorbed tothat contained in the carbonic acid excreted was as 100 : 77, being thesame as that found in the fasting dog.Influence of the Temperature of the surrounding Air on theProcesses of Decomposition in the Organism of Warm-bloodedAnimals.By C. VVIT (.Zeitsch. f. Biologie, 14, 57--160).-Thislengthy paper is divided into numerous sections, of which the firsttreats of the literature of the subject, and the others are as follows:-2. Experinzeuts with a cat.3. Ecperiwents o n man in cold and heat with exclusion of voluntarymovements.-The results obtained showed that both in the case of thecat and of man, when the temperature fell below the ordinary (14-15" C.), the excretion of carbonic acid was increased, the increaseamounting in man to 36 per cent. in a fall of 9.9". Increase oftemperature on the contrary does not show a gradual decrease, but alsoa slight increase in the carbonic acid, which amounted to 10 per cent.,when the temperature was raised 15.7".There is therefore, theauthor concludes, no doubt that it is not the voluntary movementswhich give rise to the increased excretion of carbonic acid.4. In this section, the author traces the gradual development of thetheory of the decomposition of albumin, fats, and carbo-hydrates, notby the direct action of oxygen, but by means of organised ferments.He does not consider ths temperature as the immediate cause of the de-composition, and cites the case of the diabetic (in whom, under certaincircumstances, there may be a large consumption of oxygen), tm showthat temperature and oxygen together do not suffice to bring about thedecomposition of the sugar.In diabetes, causes which normally bringabout the decomposition of sugar are absent, on which account littleoxygen is usually absorbed.5. liiftuence of the Respiratory movements on the formation of Carbonicacid.-Acoording to the author the influence of the respiratory move-ments on the formation of carbonic acid and on the decompositionstaking place in the body is due, not to the different quantities ofoxygen inhaled, but to the increased muscular activity under thesecircumstances.7. Experiments 09% the Marmot during Hibernation.- Two experimentsmade by the author in 187-4 confirm previous observations, showingthat glycogen exists in the liver in large quantihies in hibernatingmarmots. This indicates, he thinks, that glycogen is formed in the fast-ing organism, although this cannot usually be poved ; in the wakingstate there must be some cause which brings about its immediate de-composition.This cause he considers h be the musoular movemectsof the waking animal.8. Consumption of Oxygen i n Man during Sleep.-Experiments by theauthor and Pettenkofer, made in 1866, seemed to show that duringthe night considerably more oxygen is absorbed than during the day,and also that during the day considerably more oxygen is excreted inthe products of decomposition than is absorbed in the mean time. TheE. C. B76 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PhpKRS.author now detects an error in some of these experiments, owing tothe increase in weight of the bedding (due to absorption of moisturefrom the air) in 24 hours, being all attributed to the 12 hours of thenight; the excretion of water found during the day was therefore toolittle, that during the night too great, rendering the calculated amountof oxygen absorbed during the day too small, that for the night too great.9.In an experiment on a fasting dog during a sleep of 4 hours25 minutes, induced by chloral, the author found that very little car-bonic acid was given off and very little oxygen absorbed, but, whereasduring hibernation the amount of oxygen absorbed was much greaterthan that excreted, in this case the difference was abnormally small.10. An experiment made on a man suffering from paralysis, afterfracture of the eighth dorsal vertebra, gave for 12 hours an excretion ofcarbonic acid amounting to 250 grams, being 38 per cent.less carbonicacid than that excreted during the 12 hours of the day by a man in health,and 20 per cent. less than that given off during the 12 night hours.The author concludes from this arid other observations that the stimuliacting on the organs of sense exert by means of the nervous system acontinual stimulating influence on the decompositions taking place inthe organism. The nerves are not, he considers, the cause of the de-composition, but they exert a modifying influence on this cause, andare able to bring about conditions more favourable to the same.12. Decomposition, of Fut caib be increased by ReJez action.-The de-composition of albumin is dependent chiefly on the amount of albumincarried to the living cells, that of the fat, on the other hand, on thechange in relation of the particles brought about by nerve influence.Xxperimenting on dogs rendered motionless by curare, the author findsthat, as during sleep, much less carbonic acid is excreted, which heattributes not to a diminution of the amount of albumin decomposed,but to a less decomposition of fat.Prom these obserr-ations, he con-siders it probable that cold or other stimuli acting on the skin, and alsolight, when they cause in a reflex manner an increase in the excretionof' carbonic acid and absorption of oxygen, do so merely by increasingthe decomposition of the non-nitrogenous substances and not that ofalbumin, Lowering of the surrounding temperature, as long as thetemperature of the body remains constant, he finds only brings aboutan increased decomposition of fat or non-nitrogenous substances.When, however, the body-temperature is reduced, there is prcbably adiminution in the decomposition both of albuminous and of non-nitro-genous substances.Increased body-temperature artificially produced,or the result of fever, is aecompanied by an increased decomposition ofalbumin; it is doubtful whether the decomposition of fat is alsoincreased.13. The increased decomposition in the cold due to involuntaryregulation is not, the author considers, of very much importance to lifein cold climates, f o r it is assisted by other more efficient means, via.:by clothing the body with bad heat-conductors, by production of muchheat, by a great consumption of nourishment, and by muscular action.I n man and in the cat, he considers that there does not exist forhigher temperatures any appreciable reflex regulation by diminishedoxidation. E. C. BANALYTICAL CHEE?I1ISTRY. 77Magnesia as an Antidote for Arsenious Acid. By P. DECLERMONT and J. FROMMEL (Compt. rettd., 87, 332).-1n seekin?to eliminate arsenious acid in the experiments referred to on page 13of this rolume, the authors found that on adding magnesia to waterholding sulphide of arsenic in suspension, two combinations areformed : a snlph-arsenite of magnesium, R ~ ~ , ( A S S ~ ) ~ , which is solublein water, and an nrsenite, MgHAs03. insoluble. The equation repre-senting this reaction is :-2As2S3 + 5MgO + H,O = MgI(AsS3), +2M gHAs03. The soluble eulph-arsenite is dissociated when boiled,thus:-Mg2(AsS3)2 + 7H20 = MgHAs03 -t 6H2S + MgO. Ma?-riesia is an excellent antidote in cases of poisoning by arsenious mid,as the arsenite is completely insoluble ; but snpposing that a portionof the arsenious acid becomes converted into trisulphicle in the stomachor intestines, the magnesia mould render this soluble. Now, in theintestines of a person poisoned by arsenious acid, trisulpliidc in thestate of fine yellow powder has been observed (Neu. R5per. der Phariiz.,17, 386) ; and the question arises whether magnesia is as efficaciousas has been supposed, seeing that the sulphide which would otherwisenot be capable of absorption, is rendered soluble by it. R. R